


Sunburn

by bluerosekatie



Category: Tron - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, How do I tag?, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Motorcycles, Off-Grid, Post-Tron: Legacy, Quorra learns about the world, Romantic Fluff?, Sunburn, Sunrises, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:42:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25944559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluerosekatie/pseuds/bluerosekatie
Summary: Sam shows Quorra around Los Angeles, and the sun is more than a pretty light, so sunburn, mild hurt/comfort, and various other forms of fluff ensues.  My first attempt at a fluffy shipfic.
Relationships: Sam Flynn & Quorra, Sam Flynn/Quorra
Comments: 9
Kudos: 21





	Sunburn

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Interlude](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20394031) by [EnglishLanguage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnglishLanguage/pseuds/EnglishLanguage). 



Sam and Quorra whipped through the forest on his motorcycle. The trees grew sparsely, but even the few visible were far different from anything Quorra had ever seen.

_ So much green, and brown, and tan. So many different colors! _

“You all right?” Sam said over the wind. “We can take a break.”

“I’m fine!” Quorra shouted back. Her voice echoed in the open space. “Better than fine!”

Sam nodded and gunned the engine. The road broke through the trees into a short bridge over a river. In the distance, the river reflected the newborn sun’s glow.

Quorra gasped.  _ A sunrise! _ “Can we stop here for a microcycle?”

“A while,” Sam corrected. “Sure.”

He swerved to the side of the road and parked the motorcycle. They dismounted it and walked to the edge of the bridge.

“It’s amazing. Better than the Portal, better than anything I’ve seen before,” Quorra said.

Sam stayed silent, but he walked over to her.

Together, they stared out at the sunrise. Quorra watched as the sunlight shifted shadows and illuminated the world around her in a way she’d never seen before. Grayish-tan and white water became pale blue and green. The thin gray mist quickly evaporated, leaving behind a clear day on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Soon the sky had become blue with a circle of gold and white.

Quorra was still staring out at it all when she heard Sam rev up the motorcycle again.

“Hey,” he said. “Ready to see the city now?”

She turned. “Sure.”

As they rode back into the city, Quorra felt the warmth of the sunlight above. She leaned on Sam and noticed his more concentrated heat. The bike beneath them rumbled comfortably. Although Quorra had caught glimpses of the city when they drove out of it by night, during the day it was surprisingly different and unfamiliar.

Windows glinted with bright light from outside. People strolled around, or rode in vehicles like her lightrunner, but usually with covered tops and never with trailing lightlines.

_ I suppose those wouldn’t be necessary here, with light coming from the sky. _

Sam drove through the less-populated parts of the city first, but soon skyscrapers dominated the view. Quorra watched as they grew, until they were almost as tall as the ones in the Grid.

“Want to see Encom?” Sam asked. “I do own it, after all.”

“I want to see everything!” Quorra answered.

Sam gave her one of the lopsided smile-smirks that made tingles flow through her like a fresh burst of energy. He turned the motorcycle and drove deeper into the maze of roads and skyscrapers.

It was getting warmer.  _ I’ve read about heat, but it doesn’t begin to cover it - it’s energy, sure, but it causes other things. My body’s forming - liquid energy? - on it? And I’m a little uncomfortable. _

They drove onward. Lightlines, like the circuits on programs in the Grid, formed words and images on the buildings around them. Quorra caught glimpses of shining blue water in the distance, between the skyscrapers and towers.

Sam took a detour and stopped by a small stand with pillars supporting a roof but no walls, and a pair of machines next to each pillar. “Got to refuel - I haven’t filled her up since yesterday,” Sam said. “She’s a bit of a gas-guzzler.”

“Gas-guzzler?” Quorra said, confused.

“The motorcycle.” 

“Oh.” She watched as he connected a small hose to the motorcycle, waited, then disconnected it and pressed a few buttons on the screen of the machine.

_ There’s less liquid forming on me now. That’s an improvement. _

She stood in the shade until Sam motioned her back onto the bike.

“Whoa, you're sweating so much,” he said as she leaned forward again.

“Sweating? Is that what the liquid is from?”

Sam laughed. “Yeah, it’s normal. I’ll stop by my place and we can walk so you don’t have to wear that jacket.”

“Okay,” Quorra said.

They drove past the skyscraper with the word ‘Encom’ emblazoned on it in lightlines -  _ Flynn’s other job,  _ Quorra remembered - and over to the harbor. Sam stopped the bike next to an old shipping container with a garage door on one side.

“This is your place?” she asked.

“Yep,” Sam said. He clicked a button on his keyring and the door opened. “Don’t need much.”

Immediately, Quorra was disoriented by a loud, sharp noise. It was coming from inside the house, and getting closer.

“What’s that?” she said.

“Marv!” Sam said. He smiled and bent down to rub a small creature with black and white markings. “He’s my dog.”

Relieved, Quorra walked into the shipping container-turned home. She sat down on the beat-up couch and took off her jacket. Marv ran over to her and jumped onto the couch too.

She scooted over to one side. The dog followed her, barked, and wagged his tail furiously. Quorra tentatively reached out and rubbed Marv like she’d seen Sam do. He stopped barking.

“I should really walk him,” Sam said. “Mind coming with me?”

“Not at all.” 

Sam found a leash and attached it to Marv’s collar, then walked out the door with the end of the leash in his hand. Quorra followed. The sidewalk was rough and irregular, but still walkable. Marv wandered to either side of Sam and Quorra, sniffing at various objects and barking at anyone who walked past.

Quorra held onto Sam’s other hand. Her heart - not code, anymore - beat quickly. “Sam,” she said. “What else can we go see?”

“Well, I usually walk Marv along the beach here, and stop for breakfast at one of the places on the way back.”

Quorra nodded.  _ So we’re going close to the sea. _ Soon they were no longer walking along the fairly-smooth sidewalk, but passing the ridged boardwalk and heading down to the beach.

The surface beneath her shifted, and she froze. “Sam!” she hissed.

“What?”

“Something derezzed here.”

“No.”

“Yes! I know something did!” Blood rushed to her cheeks.

“No, it’s just sand.”

_ Sand. _ She gathered the courage to stoop down and feel some. It was randomly sized and irregular, not like the perfect cubes a derezzed program or object became. Still, it was a not-entirely-welcome reminder of the Grid, and even the sight of the bright, never-stilling waves didn’t shake the feeling.

She continued and caught up to Sam. Marv had also stopped, though not for the same reason, but soon the dog jumped up and followed the two again.

_ It is pretty hot,  _ she thought. Her arms, exposed to the light, had gotten almost uncomfortably warm again, though she wasn’t sweating as much.

Sam had also removed his jacket earlier, but he seemed unfazed by the day’s heat.

A few  _ betas - minis?- _ children were splashing around in the water, with their parents watching carefully. Quorra let go of Sam’s hand and entered the water as well.

“Hey, wait!” Sam said.

The ends of her pants had absorbed some of the water and were cold and heavy now. However, the water had been refreshing -  _ like the Sea of Simulation, before.. No. Not going to think about that and ruin this. _

“Come on, Quorra,” Sam said. “It’s almost time for breakfast.”

She nodded and followed him further down the boardwalk. The mostly-even planks were solid and hard, but not metal; they felt more organic. 

“What’s this made out of?” Quorra asked.

“Wood,” Sam said. “Same thing as the trees we passed earlier.”

_ Huh. Interesting. _ She followed Sam across the boardwalk and back onto the road, where the black surface reflected the day’s heat. Objects close to the ground, like passing cars and people’s feet, appeared to waver and distort like the surface of an identity disc.

Quorra looked down at her own feet, expecting to see the same distortion, but it wasn’t there. Marv and Sam also had no distortion -  _ so it’s a distance thing? _ They paused at the edge of the road to let cars pass, then crossed on a series of white lines. Once they were across, the building beside them provided some welcome shade. Sam walked up to a line of people standing in the shade and waited there, while Marv continued to wander and bark.

_There’s something in the air._ _I sense… energy? Something like it, at least._ Some of the people ahead left the line carrying boxes, which appeared to be what was giving off the energy vapor. Quorra and Sam moved ahead in the line.

“Breakfast time,” Sam said. “This is my favorite place to get breakfast - their breakfast burritos are delicious.”

“Oh, we’re getting energy?”

Sam laughed and elbowed her. “Food is what we call it out here.”

_ That explains the smells. _

Marv had his nose up in the air too - he was expecting some of the meal. Now that their little group was at the window, Quorra smelled even more food - and felt her stomach rumble in anticipation.  _ Odd. Users do that? _

Sam exchanged some User money for the food, then brought Marv and Quorra to a table in an enclosed area near the shop. Quorra sat down next to him. He opened the box, unwrapped a cylinder tube of food, and broke off a piece for Marv. Marv snatched it and ate ravenously.

Quorra picked up the second tube -  _ breakfast burrito, Sam called it. _ She brought it up to her mouth awkwardly - Flynn had shown her how to eat User food, but of course it had really just been disguised energy. This had its own scent to it - a mix of savory things, some slightly sulfury, others richer and less distinct. Quorra ate it slowly, enjoying the new tastes and textures.

Sunlight beat down, and even in the partial shade from the building, she began to sweat again. The trickles of liquid slid down her, making her shirt uncomfortable again. 

“Sam, is it always this warm in Los Angeles?”

“This is actually a colder day. Are you doing okay?” Sam asked, noticing her discomfort.

Quorra looked herself over. Besides the sweat, her arms had started to change color from the pale whitish-tan to a brighter pink. 

“My skin is different!” she exclaimed, somewhat unnerved.

“Wha-” Sam scooted closer. He looked at her arms. “Oh, shoot,” he said. “I didn’t realize you were getting sunburned. Your face is kind of pink too.”

“Is this normal too or am I being rectified?” Quorra asked.  _ There's so much I don’t know about the User world! Will I be able to survive here? _

“It’s normal,” Sam said. “But it’s not good to let it keep happening - let’s get you out of the sun.”

He picked up the box and led her to another store. This one had an entrance, and they were able to go inside. Once she was inside, most of the heat on her skin cooled, but her cheeks stayed bright pink.

“Yeah, that’s a pretty bad sunburn,” Sam said, looking over her again. “We should get back to my place - but first let’s get something so at least your face won’t keep getting sunburned.”

“Okay,” Quorra said. She wandered through the store, watching as different people chose different items and returned to a line to pay for them. Sam found a bottle of green, transparent gel, then put his hand on Quorra’s shoulder.

An entirely different kind of heat started where he touched - a pleasant one.

“A hat will keep you from getting more sunburn on your face. If it got any worse your skin would start peeling,” Sam told her as he led her to a different section of the store. In that section there were user clothes, like she was wearing, but also a selection of hats. Quorra picked up a white hat with a purple symbol on it and put it on her head.

Sam laughed and pointed to her reflection in a nearby mirror. “That one’s too small for you - it looks like you put a bowl on your head.”

Quorra blushed and found a different hat. “How’s this one?”

“Looks good,” Sam said. The navy blue hat had a wide brim that would protect her face from the sun. “Let’s go pay for this stuff and get back to my place.”

The girl at the register stared openly at Quorra’s sunburn -  _ so no, this isn’t entirely normal for Users, or at least not right now.  _ Sam paid for the hat and gel, then handed the hat back to Quorra.

She put it on gratefully. Outside, the hat shaded her face like her own personal heat sink, and her face wasn’t quite as hot.

Marv licked her feet. 

_ Oh yeah, we’re going back to Sam’s place. _

They walked together, quiet compared to the sounds of the city. Quorra watched the people as they passed them. Soon, Sam, Marv, and Quorra were back at the shipping container home.

“Sit down,” Sam said. He gestured to the couch. “I need to get some aloe on those burns.”

Quorra sat down, and Sam sat beside her on the leather couch. 

“Are you all right with me putting it on, or do you want to do it?” Sam asked.

“I’m fine with you doing it,” Quorra said. “I don’t know how.”

He opened the container of gel and squirted some on his hand, then rubbed it on her arm where the burn was pinkest. Cool, relieving tingles occurred wherever Sam rubbed the gel, and his hands were gentle on her damaged skin.

She sighed. “Thank you.”

“No problem - might as well make sure it doesn’t get any worse.” Sam moved to her back.

Once he was done putting the gel on, the heat trapped in her skin dispersed somewhat. She got up and looked around the small room. Sam had a bookshelf, a punching bag, the couch, and a mat in another corner of the room. Quorra headed for the bookshelf.

Unsurprisingly, it held several magazines about motorcycles, older newspapers with pictures of Kevin Flynn, and engineering books, but Quorra also found fiction books in the mix. She pulled out one of them, ‘Ender’s Game’, but stopped when she saw a few action figures on a higher shelf.

“Are these … programs?” she asked Sam. She picked up one of them, a black and red design with a full-face mask. “How do you have these?”

Now Sam blushed. “Those used to be my favorite toys when I was a kid. Before Dad, you know…” he trailed off. “He used to tell me stories every night about the characters from his video games, and how he got to be right there inside of it all. I believed him at first, but when he didn’t come back…”

Quorra set the figure back down. “And all that time, he was with us in the Grid,” she said. “Now that he’s gone, our worlds are different again.”

“Yeah,” Sam said.

Quorra walked back to the couch and sat down, leaning against Sam. He hesitated for a moment, then leaned in too and gave her a hug.

_ This is going to be different. But we’re together, and we both know what it’s like to be lost. I think now we’ve found a home, even if it’s not the same as we used to know. _

**Author's Note:**

> The main reason I put this as inspired by 'Interlude' is because I wanted to give credit to the author of that fic for making me think of sand as being similar to the voxels created by programs derezzing.  
> Edit 8/21/20: Added two lines to make sure it doesn't seem like Sam's being pushy about the aloe - he asks first now.


End file.
